sram9 chain w/ powerlink

got a new chain for friends bike and think his old chain had links already taken out- How many links need to be taken out of the chain for initial assem.? and whats the deal with the powerlink- never had a sram chain before- Should I take that ppowerlink out and save it as an extra link or just go buy another powerlink and save that? Do appreciate

There is instructions on sizing the chain that came with it. You want to put the chain on the large ring and large cassette. There should be a two link over-lap. Look at the picture to compare. Take off the excess and put on the power-link. The power-link is not extra. It is so you can easily remove the chain for cleaning and stuff. If you have a chain tool on your multi-tool, you can take the extra links with you in case of breakage. Or you can get another power-link. They are like 3 bucks.